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That old diver's advice about steel tanks bit me on a 90 foot job
Met this retired Navy guy in a bar near the docks in Galveston, and he kept going on about how steel tanks will save your life if you ever get a free flow at depth. I laughed it off, figured he was just stuck in the 70s with the old gear. Then last month, I'm doing a bridge inspection at 90 feet and my reg starts dumping air like crazy, no warning. My aluminum tank went from 3000 psi to near zero in about 45 seconds, and I had to buddy breathe up with only a few minutes of bottom time left. That guy was right, the buoyancy swing on steel is way more forgiving in that exact panic situation. Has anyone else switched their gear setup after a close call like this, or are we all just stubborn till it happens to us?
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charles_coleman28d ago
Man, 45 seconds to drain 3000 psi? That's terrifying, I would have lost my mind down there. Everyone talks about buoyancy math on paper, but nobody thinks about it when your air is screaming out and your brain is doing the panic math. Steel tanks might be heavier on the boat, but that forgiveness at depth sounds like a fair trade to me.
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